This savanna lake, an hour’s walk from El Porvenir, is the reserve’s most popular destination. The sight of the world’s largest population of crawling, rare black caimans – there are at least 400 of them – is truly astounding. Fortunately, caimans have little interest in humans, so it’s generally safe to observe them at close range while rowboating around with a guide. If you find them too scary to get up close and personal, climb the 11m viewing tower .
The reptiles are the descendants of specimens originally destined to become unwilling members of the fashion industry, by providing shoe and bag material for a leather company. When the caiman breeder’s business failed, the animals were left behind, and sadly the majority perished from neglect.
